Lipstick in Afghanistan

August 23, 2010
A lipstick-loving nurse finds romance and friendship in war-torn Afghanistan in this nicely intentioned but trite debut. Ever since seeing photographs of the Rwandan genocide as a teenager, Boston nurse Elsa has dreamed of doing good for those less fortunate, so soon after Aide du Monde asks her to travel to Afghanistan to assist at a medical clinic, she's settling in a house recently vacated by the Taliban. Elsa quickly adjusts to her new life and work at the clinic, and though warned against fraternizing with the U.S. soldiers stationed nearby, she predictably falls for a handsome lieutenant. She also befriends a local woman who shares her love of lipstick, and the pair routinely endanger themselves in order to help others, culminating in a dangerous trip to scout a location for a school. Though the lipstick gimmick ("her lips colored a daring red for confidence") quickly gets old and the prose is pedestrian, Gately, a nurse who spent six months in Bamiyan, succeeds in pulling off the fish-out-of-water aspect of the story, giving readers an Afghanistan that occasionally has the tang of the real deal.

October 1, 2010

Drawing on her own experiences as a humanitarian relief nurse, debut novelist Gately presents the story of Elsa Murphy, a young Boston nurse posted to an Aide du Monde clinic in rural Afghanistan. As a teenager, Elsa saw photos of starving Rwandan children in an issue of Time and immediately knew her calling. She faced many obstacles to obtaining her dream: she was living in poverty and helping her mother raise the disabled daughter of Elsa's drug-addicted older sister. But she persevered, gaining confidence from her use of cheerful lipsticks, and graduated nursing school; the day she completed her requisite year of emergency room service, she applied to Aide du Monde. Once in Afghanistan, Elsa makes friends widely. Among them is a plucky young widow, Parween, who has memories of happier days wearing lipstick and exploring the Buddha caves before the Taliban came to power. Elsa and Parween stand out in a cast of engaging characters. VERDICT Gately reveals a much smaller slice of life than Khaled Hosseini shared in A Thousand Splendid Suns, but hers is still an informative glimpse into the lives of women in challenging times. Recommended for readers who like to explore unfamiliar worlds. Appended questions make it also an appealing choice for book clubs.--Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati State Technical & Community Coll. Lib.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2010
Gatelys absorbing debut transports readers to the small Afghan village of Bamiyan in the months after 9/11. A volunteer for a French relief organization, Elsa Murphy, a young nurse, has left her tragic life behind in Boston in the hopes of finding a purpose by providing aid and medical care in Afghanistan. Living without running water and on rationed kerosene, the one comfort from home Elsa allows herself is lipstick, which helps her retain her identity behind the veil she wears. Elsas work engenders two relationships that will change her life: a friendship with Parween, a young, strong-willed Afghani widow whose hatred of the Taliban is born out of unimaginable loss, and a romance with Mike, a handsome, brave U.S. soldier with flashing blue eyes. Though the Taliban have largely been driven out by the soldiers, Elsa learns they are still very much a presence. In this utterly engrossing read, Gately vividly evokes the beauty and tragedy of Afghanistan, where she, like Elsa, worked as a nurse after 9/11.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)